


listen (just once)

by vaguethursdays



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, Unreliable Narrator, being atsumu is suffering, kind of, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:22:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25744264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaguethursdays/pseuds/vaguethursdays
Summary: “Don’t interrupt, I’m not done.” Bokuto huffs. “Have you ever actually told him how you feel? Y’kno, for someone who sure does talk a lot, you don’t really say too much.”“I feel like I should be offended by some parts of that sentence...”“Well? So have you told him?”Atsumu struggles to get his feelings across properly.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 6
Kudos: 146





	listen (just once)

**Author's Note:**

> this was honestly just a quick practice to try putting atsumu's voice a bit more into the narrative (and also to clown him a lil). sorry my guy.

Atsumu’s life is a long-running series of hilariously unfortunate misunderstandings.

They happen so often that he thinks maybe he shoulda just became a comedian, ‘cause, y’kno, at least that way he could profit off all of his misfortunes.

\------

The first misunderstanding wasn’t even his own fault, lookin’ back on it. It was Stupid ‘Samu’s fault for a whole 36 reasons.

In Atsumu’s second year of high school, the human equivalent of the sun ran straight into his heart and made himself a home. The way that Shoyo demanded only the best from his teammates, and gratefully took every moment that they put their 100% into the game … it gripped Atsumu’s heart with an iron claw and refused to let go.

It also might’ve cut his blood supply off, short-circuiting his brain. Just a l’il bit. But that bit was just enough to erase any filter he had.

“Shoyo-kun, one day I’m gonna set for ya.” Atsumu says. He thinks he sounds cool, expressing his interest in Shoyo through their shared love of the game. Absolutely crushed it. It’s gotta leave a mark on Shoyo’s heart, there’s no way he’ll forget an opponent sayin somethin’ like that to him--

Except Shoyo’s lookin’ at him like he /still/ can’t tell the difference between him and ‘Samu. 

“But before that happens, I’m gonna whup the pants offa ya in next year’s Interhigh. So you’d better be ready.” Saved it. Totally saved it. Atsumu thinks he can still walk away from this and still look cool.

“Loser’s last attempt to look cool, huh?” Samu says. 

Atsumu wants to wipe that knowing look off his stupid brother’s face. He ain’t ashamed of expressin’ his feelings, but the heat creeping across his face makes him wish ‘Samu wouldn’t call him out for tryna save face. 

He makes a mental note of things prolly going smoother next time if Stupid ‘Samu weren’t around.

\------

Things do not go smoother the next time. In fact, Atsumu somehow messes it up all on his own.

The day Shoyo joins the Jackals, Atsumu feels like everything got a little brighter.

He tags along while Bokkun shows Shoyo around their training facilities. The two of them are chatting and catching up more than going on a real tour of the place, but Atsumu doesn’t mind it. He likes listenin’ to Shoyo talk about his life. Makes him feel all fuzzy inside.

This time though, the fuzzy feelings won’t let Atsumu lose control of his mouth. He’s good and patient, and he ain’t gonna mess up by sayin’ somethin’ in front of other people. Especially if those other people are Bokkun.

There’s finally a chance at the end of the day when everyone else has already left, leaving the two of them alone in the locker room. 

“So whaddya think? Glad ya tried out for us?” 

Shoyo’s lookin’ up at him with those big eyes and Atsumu swears there’s some sort of sun-magic hidden in ‘em with the way he makes life look a l’il brighter. 

“Yeah! I can’t wait to hit your tosses in an official game!” Shoyo grins.

Atsumu feels like he just got shot in the heart. He start mentally flipping through every possible scenario where the two of them end up gettin’ married on a beach, a picture perfect sunset behind them, like it was always meant to be.

“I’m real happy to hear that! I like ya a lot, Shoyo-kun!” He said it. He said it and there’s no one else here to call him out on anything. Just him and Shoyo. Nervous laughter starts to bubble out, “it’s gonna be real fun havin’ ya on the court with us.”

“I really like you guys too! Everyone has been so kind. It’s gonna be great to finally take down Kageyama.” Shoyo says with determination.

“Yep! When we finally… take down Tobio-kun…?” Atsumu’s mouth moves faster than his brain again. “Wait, huh?”

“Oh, this will be the first time I get to play against him since middle school, and I’m gonna win this time.” Shoyo slings his bag over his shoulder, giving Atsumu one last grin. “I’ll see you later, Atsumu-san, I have to go catch the bus!”

Atsumu’s left alone in the locker room, his mouth hangin’ wide open. 

“Was that him jus’ bein’ polite or…” He mentally replays the conversation in his head, trying to figure out where he went wrong. “He ain’t seem put off… so why did-”

And then it clicked.

“SHIT!” 

Atsumu bangs his head against the locker and stays slumped against it. 

“Why’d I go an’ mention the team right then…” he sighed. “He didn’t think nothin of it though, so maybe he don’t feel any way about it.” 

He stayed like that for a bit, only moving when he hears the door open behind him.

“Miya? You still here?” Meian asks. “Everythin’ alright?”

“S’all good. I’m takin’ my leave now.” Atsumu shrugs his jacket on and grabs his bag, waving to Meian as he walks out the door. “See ya, Meian-san.”

“Get home safe!”

\------

Third time’s the charm, right? Ain’t that how it’s s’posed to go?

Atsumu learns the hard way that maybe, just maybe, folks say that to make themselves feel better about things goin’ all sorts of wrong.

He had planned on askin’ just Shoyo if he wanted to grab a bite after their latest win. Just a normal, casual dinner to set the right tone for confessin’. 

And yet, somehow, Atsumu found himself sittin’ around a table with the rest of the team too.

S’fine. S’all fine. He at least managed to grab the seat next to Shoyo. It’s the small victories that matter most.

There’s nothin real excitin’ going on. Meian gets coaxed into buying bottles of wine, Inuaki teases Adriah, Bokkun spills his drink. The usual kinda outing.

Shoyo’s talking about Brazil. He talks about how fun beach volleyball is. He talks about how his ex-roommate wants to come visit Japan, how his old partner is expectin’ their second kid soon. Atsumu thinks Shoyo’s face glows more than normal when he talks about the things he really likes.

His own face feels warm, a slight buzz under his skin. Atsumu doesn’t think it’s the alcohol, but he also don’t remember ever seein’ his glass empty despite how much he’s drank already. 

When Bokkun takes over everyone’s attention again, Atsumu angles himself to look more at Shoyo. He rests his chin in the palm of his hand, and allows himself to take in the sight of Shoyo laughing beside him. “Hey, Shoyo-kun.”

“Hi, Atsumu-san.” Shoyo says, turnin’ his attention away from Bokkun, and looks’ at Atsumu with a smile and a light flush ghosting his cheeks. S’real cute. “What’s up?”

“Was jus’ thinkin’,” Atsumu starts slowly, taking a pause to glance down at Shoyo’s red-stained lips, “ya wanna go out?”

The enjoyment on Shoyo’s face slowly disappeared, his smile bein’ traded in for a frown. Even his confused face is cute, Atsumu thinks. “What do you mean? We’re out right now.”

Atsumu sighs and takes a big swig of his wine. “Nevermind, timin’ ain’t right.”

Shoyo squints and stares at him for a moment, like he’s solvin’ a puzzle. “Atsumu-san, are you okay? You had a lot to drink tonight...” Shoyo’s brows furrowed further together. Atsumu wants to reach out and kiss ‘em.

“M’okay, feelin’ a bit tired though, so I’mma head home.” Atsumu pulled out his wallet to leave some cash on the table to cover his food, waving off any of the concerns his team might have.

When he gets outside, he drags his hand down his face and lets out a deep sigh.

“Yer killin’ me, Shoyo-kun.”

\------

Atsumu wishes he could blame the final straw on Bokkun. He wishes it with all his heart, but he knows none of it ain’t neither of their faults.

He’s sittin’ on the locker room bench, tying up the laces on his sneakers when Bokkun comes and plops himself down next to him, slingin’ an arm around his shoulders. “Hey, hey, hey, Tsum-tsum! Can I ask you something?”

“Yer gonna ask me anyway, even if I say ‘no’, aren’tcha?” Atsumu sighs.

“Do you like Hinata?” Bokkun continues on, “because I’ve seen the way you guys look at each other.”

Atsumu’s whole body stiffens, everythin’ from the neck up turning a deep shade of red. He didn’t think he was bein’ THAT obvious about his feelings. He wants to deny everything, but Bokkun’s surprisingly sharp about these things sometimes. He’ll prolly get caught if he lies, Atsumu thinks. “Yeah but he don’t-- he don’t feel like that about me. S’fine though.”

“Huh? Are you kidding me?” Bokkun stares at him with a raised eyebrow. “ Have you seen the way he looks when he talks to you? It’s like you hung the stars on the moon!”

“Ya mean ‘stars in the sky,’” Atsumu combs his fingers through his hair and lets out a frustrated groan, “an’ he looks at everyone like that. M’not special.”

Bokkun stands up in front of him and puts his hands on his hips, tryin’ his best to look authoritative. “Tsum-tsum, I’m saying this because I love you, but you’re being stupid.”

“Haah?! Excuse me--” 

“Don’t interrupt, I’m not done.” Bokkun huffs. “Have you ever actually told him how you feel? Y’kno, for someone who sure does talk a lot, you don’t really say too much.”

“I feel like I should be offended by some part of that sentence...” 

“Well? So have you told him?”

Bokkun’s starin’ him down and Atsumu’s starin’ back up at him. He knows Bokkun is bein’ 100% serious with him right now, and well, he was never good at lyin’ to him anyway.

“I… I tried, alright? I tried to tell ‘em a few times, but either he never understood or he’s jus’ bein’ polite about turnin’ me down.”

“Are you sure you were being totally clear about it?” Bokkun crouches down to eye level with Atsumu, and the look on his face softens, “because I just think you’re thinking the worst of things before you even know for sure.”

Atsumu opens and closes his mouth a few times. He wants to say that he was bein’ clear, that he put it all out there every time, but maybe... maybe he wasn’t? Maybe he was unknowingly giving Shoyo an out if he wanted it. He buries his face in his hands and lets out a weird, strangled sound. All this is startin’ to make his brain hurt.

“It’ll work out, Tsum-tsum! You just have to be straight with him! Like this,” Bokkun claps his hands down on Atsumu’s shoulder. “I like you! A lot! Please date me!”

Atsumu looks back up at Bokkun and wonders if it’ll really be that simple, but the sound of the door closing grabs both of their attention, and they finally notice Shoyo standing there with his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, his bag dropping to the ground as he’s reaching back for the door handle.

“I uh- I’m gonna- I’m just going to- I’m so sorry for interrupting!” Shoyo bolts.

Bokkun calls out for Shoyo to wait, but Atsumu’s already on his feet and chasin’ after him. 

He’s grateful he’s got bigger strides because shit, Shoyo’s fast, even when he’s just speed walkin’. Atsumu barely manages to catch his wrist when they turn a corner, spinning them so Shoyo’s tucked in between himself and the wall, his back to Atsumu. He keeps his one hand loosely holding Shoyo’s wrist with the other braced against the wall. “Sorry, Shoyo-kun, but I need ya to listen to me for a sec.”

When Shoyo doesn’t make any movements to run or object, Atsumu rests his forehead against the back of his head. “Yer misunderstandin’ it all. Bokkun was givin’ me advice just now, s’all.”

Atsumu breathes deeply, tryin’ to calm his nerves down just enough. 

“I like ya, I like ya a lot, Shoyo-kun. I always have.”

Atsumu can feel Shoyo’s hand slightly tremble.

“I tried to tell ya, but I s’pose I wasn’t usin’ the right words ‘cause ya kept brushin’ past it without givin’ it a second thought.”

He releases Shoyo’s wrist and takes a step back.

“S’fine if ya don’t feel the same, I just--” 

He cuts himself off when Shoyo turns around to face him, his eyes burning as bright as the day Atsumu met him back in high school. 

“Did you mean it, Atsumu-san?” 

Atsumu feels completely exposed with Shoyo lookin’ at him with those sun filled eyes, like every single emotion he’s ever felt is bein’ laid out in front of him and Atsumu’s got no way of stoppin’ it. But it’s okay. With Shoyo, he ain’t afraid of leavin’ his heart in his hands.

“Every single time.”

Shoyo uses both of his hands to grab onto Atsumu’s shirt, his fingers curling into the fabric and pulls him down for a kiss. It’s rough and their noses bump each other and Shoyo only manages to catch half of Atsumu’s mouth, but it’s also warm and Shoyo’s lips are softer than he could’ve imagined. Atsumu brings his hands to rest on Shoyo’s hips, fingertips brushing the skin underneath his shirt, and he’s afraid to hold so tight that he’ll scare Shoyo, but also that he’s not holding on tight enough and he might slip through his fingers if he’s not careful.

As if he senses Atsumu’s fears, Shoyo digs his fingers deeper into his shirt, tryin’ to pull him closer, closer than humanly possible.

I’m right here, Atsumu hears it in his heart finally. I’m not going anywhere.

They break apart momentarily to catch a breath. Shoyo’s hands slide up Atsumu’s chest and circle around his neck as he stretches upwards, his fingers curling into the hair at the nape of Atsumu’s neck. Atsumu pulls Shoyo closer to him, unable to tell whose heartbeat is whose anymore when their lips meet again, gentler this time.

They’re content to stay in this l’il bubble forever, but someone clears their throat, bringin the two of them back to their reality. 

“I think it’s super great you guys worked it out, really, I’m happy for you guys,” Bokkun says, rockin’ back and forth on his heels, “buuuut y’kno we still got practice. So hurry on back.” Bokkun flashes a quick thumbs before scurrying off.

Atsumu looks back at Shoyo, and they both start laughin’ at the same time. “We better get on goin before Meian-san gets mad.” Atsumu says.

“Let’s get dinner tonight, Atsumu-san,” Shoyo’s smiling all the way up to his eyes. He’s never looked brighter. “Like a real date.”

Atsumu places another kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Anythin’ for ya, Shoyo-kun.”

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes i shitpost on [twitter](https://twitter.com/vaguethursdays_), sometimes i post really profound things. what will it be next? we just don't know.


End file.
